Peru update

I am sorry I have not been able to stay in touch during our trek. Not surprisingly, there was no cell reception in the Perivian jungle. We completed our journey on the Inca Trail this morning and are currently in route back to Cusco. We are in the back of the bus driving down a bumpy gravel road in the dark.

I will certainly have more to say in coming days but Jess and I enjoyed the trip of a lifetime. The hike was as physically demanding as anything I have ever done. But the absolute wonder of God's creation and the explorations of the ruins of ancient civilization made the journey well worth the effort. I would recommend this experience to anyone who is physically fit and who has an appreciation for ancient history. This was the most beautiful place I have ever seen.

We were sucessful in our connections with Pastor Lopez and his children's ministry center. Thanks to many generous people, we delivered $5000 to take care of needy kids.

Jessica and I had a wonderful father/daughter experience. She is one of the strongest and most courageous women I know.

A few days after our return, I will start posting some pictures and stories.

Thanks so much to all of you who supported us and prayed for us.

Tomorrow morning at 6:00 AM, we are USA bound!

Inca Trail Bound!

Tomorrow morning at 5:20, my daughter Jessica and I leave for our Inca Trail trek. This is a four day, 26 mile hike through the Andes Mountains. The altitudes will exceed 13,000 feet and our backpacks are full. What a blast!

Please say a prayer for our health and safety. On day four, we will end the hike at Machu Picchu with a celebration. I will try to post from the trail. And there will be lots of pictures upon our return.

Grace to all!

Rick

10 ways to influence people

In some of my personal leadership development processes, I try to measure how I am doing as it relates to influencing other people. Dictionary.com defines influence as: “the capacity or power of persons or things to be a compelling force on or produce effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of others.” There is nothing wrong with trying to have this affect on other people, as long as the influence is positive in nature.

Below is a list of some things that I think are vital to being a person of influence. Read through them and ask yourself how you are doing with your family, your friends and in your faith community. Are you a positive influencer?

Bring value: be sure that you add to the lives of the people around you. Are they better off because you are there? Make sure to add, not subtract, from the people in your life.

Encourage: build up the folks you know. There are enough downers in life. Once someone knows you are an encourager, your influence will grow immensely.

Share wisdom: when given the opportunity, give out lessons you’ve learned and advice you have received. Most of the time, we have to be invited to do so or else we become overbearing. But if something you know can prevent pain in someone’s life, share it.

Be steady: Huge emotional swings will destroy any credibility you may have. Conversely, if you are perceived as balanced and steady, people will trust you enough to allow you to influence them.

Be consistent: there is no substitute for a proven commodity. Time reveals strength. Pay your dues and stick with it over the long haul. You will find yourself being influential.

Succeed: It’s simple- if you produce, people will listen to you. Failure has a way of wrecking our credibility.

Display integrity: be honest, be fair, have character. Enough said.

Be loyal: if you can show that you have someone’s back, you will earn the right to be heard by them.

Serve: the display of a servant’s heart is a great way to win the confidence of someone you would like to influence.

Care: show that you truly care about people. If they know that you are not in this to get something in return, you will gain influence in their lives.

These are just a few ideas on how you can increase your positive influence in the lives of the people around you. And isn’t that one of the reasons we are put in this earth – to influence in a good way?

another video devotional

I know you can access these teaching videos from Maranatha's website, but I am hoping that convenience will increase participation.

Take a look at these videos from Than and Megan and from me. The topic is humility, something we all need to learn.

Let's keep going on our quest to Save our Families!

Humility - Than and Megan from Maranatha Church on Vimeo.

Humility - Pastor Rick from Maranatha Church on Vimeo.

old enough to be trusted

I had an interesting discussion with the girl who cuts my hair. I refuse to call her a hair stylist, I prefer “barber”, but she would probably be offended. She is from Russia and since I have been there, she likes to talk to me about how life is there, as compared to America. This morning, she told me that people who work at churches in Russia have to be old. Younger people are not trusted because they don’t have enough life experience. She referred to the movie “Gran Torino” in which a young priest is mistrusted by the main character, for the same reason.

Got me to thinking: Am I old enough and seasoned enough to be trusted by most people? I certainly recall the days when people asked if I was the Youth Pastor or when I had to grow a mustache to look older. Don’t have that problem anymore. But do I present old enough and mature enough to gain the trust of most people I am working with? I hope so.

It also made me think about how short the season of effective ministry is in our country. For too many people, you can’t be too young and you can’t be too old. The perfect age is, I would guess, somewhere around 35-45. I probably have about 15 more total years left to work vocationally in the ministry, but truly maybe only 5 years or so before most folks think I am out of touch. Wow. I plan to work hard to stay in touch.

In a few years, prop me up, and I’ll do my best to be trusted.

what can you do for God that only you can do for God?

When you are finished reading this, take a few minutes to watch the family video devotional below. This is the next in the series that we are producing as part of our 30 Days to Save Your Family series at the Gardens campus of Maranatha.

What are you good at? What gifts and talents do your possess? Now what might God want you to do with those abilities that will bring honor to Him? He does not give you a talent just so you can enjoy it. The purpose behind every gift is the sharing of that gift. I have always heard it stated this way: we are blessed to be a blessing.

If God has given you money, he expects you to share it. If you can sing, sing for God. If you are wise, don’t use that wisdom to gain the respect of others, use it to help others. This is a biblical concept and one that will result in great fulfillment.

Now utilize these ideas as they apply to your family. Check out the video devotional. Let me know what you think.

Family Ministry - Pastor Rick from Maranatha Church on Vimeo.

new family members

We have a very strong leadership team at Maranatha Church. I am honored to be able to work with quality, gifted and integrous people. With excitement, we are announcing an addition to our staff. Next month, my nephew, Richard Whitter will become a part of our pastoral staff. Richard comes to us with an extensive background in ministry, having served for several years as a missionary and local church leader.

Rich will be preaching and teaching, leading our outreach efforts, will be instrumental in training and leading missions efforts and providing overall leadership to the church and community.

Richard, Janet and Grace will love Maranatha, and we will love them. We are all about to go to a new level.

Be watching for specific details about the arrival of the Whitter family, part 2.

family devotional

Once again, we are focusing on improving our family relationships. 30 Days to Save Your Family is our effort to encourage everyone to strengthen the foundations of our homes. This video is the latest installment of our video devotionals for families. Than and Megan also have prepped a great devotional for families with kids. You can find it on Maranatha's website.

Theme today: Honesty

Honesty - Pastor Rick from Maranatha Church on Vimeo.

the miracle of the flying baby

News stories like this will make you believe in miracles. This baby was protected by God in a terrible accident. The mother had failed to restrain the baby properly and he was ejected when the car turned over. Amazingly, the baby is fine. Watch the news report (sorry about the commercial).


Get the idea that God has something for this little guy to do in his life? What a story! A miracle!

beating burnout

When I was a teenager, a burnout was a guy who smoked too much dope. Now, it is the person who doesn't know how to say "no" to an opportunity and winds up sick and tired of doing anything.

Today, in my Covenant Group (a group of seven pastor-friends who meet once a month for community, accountability, and goofing around) discussed a book we all read - Mad Church Disease: Overcoming the Burnout Epidemic. Honestly, I didn't enjoy the book all that much because I don't have that much of an issue with overdoing stuff. There were some interesting and helpful parts, however. If you are in ministry and have issues with expectations and boundaries, it may be a good read for you. I read it in about 5 hours on a recent flight.

I brought a resource along to share with the guys that I received from my friend and colleague, J Simms. It was from author Donald Miller's blog. The article was called, "Knowing Your Work Style Can Help You Avoid Burnout". You can take a look at it here. I really like Miller's work and this post was pretty helpful, considering our topic.

If you are cooked and have no more energy for life, take a break. Read the book. Check out the blog. Let God refresh you. Life will be fun again.

video devotional - forgiveness

Today's devotional is about forgiveness. If you have a few moments, get together with a friend or with your family. God has some important things to share with you.

Forgiveness - Adult from Maranatha Church on Vimeo.

If you have young children, check out Than's devotional at the page below.

Join us at Maranatha Church for 30 Days to Save Your Family.

a night out with the boys

I am going to a baseball game tonight with a bunch of guys, mostly friends from Maranatha. We are going to see the Palm Beach Cardinals play the Dunedin Blue Jays. This is high single A league ball, two teams in the Florida State League. A few of the players from the Cardinals team are involved with our church and we want to go support them, as well as enjoy a night a baseball.

In addition to the game, what is interesting is how men respond to social events. We basically don't. Generally, guys are very hesitant to commit to anything that may require that they interact with others and especially, heaven forbid, someone they don't know very well. This is no revelation.

Baseball is safe. You don't have to talk. You don;t have to look anyone in the eye. You don't have to think about clever stuff to say. You can just sit and watch, and if you like, yell something every once in a while. Nobody minds if you keep score on your own or go to the mens room several times. It's safe.

Men and communication and relationships are complex. We like simple, especially when it comes to friends. If you're in the area, come on out and join us. If not, I'll let you know how the game turns out.

Who knows, we might even actually talk to someone while we are there!

today's video devotional

This is the latest installment of our family video devotionals that are connected with our 30 Days to Save Your Family series. Enjoy!

Trust - Pastor Rick from Maranatha Church on Vimeo.

Happy Mother’s Day

I may be slow but I’m not stupid. Mother’s Day is a once a year celebration of moms. Our church has an excellent opportunity to express our appreciation for mothers as well as offer heartfelt ministry to them. Rather than be so presumptuous as to handle the speaking responsibilities on my own, I have enlisted the support of an expert panel of mothers. At all three worship services at Maranatha Church tomorrow, we will enjoy the wisdom, humor and example of godly women. These women do not have it all together. They are not perfect moms. They are all very busy and are sacrificing their personal time for the good of the church. None of them relish the idea of sitting on a stage with a microphone in their face. But they all love God and people. So they are spending their Mother’s Day morning getting publicly grilled by me on the topic of 30 Days to Save Your Family.

A big shout out to the panel participants: Bobbie DuBose, Laura McDonald, Nell Waldrop, Rebecca Simms, Letha Whitter, Jodi Gooding, Kathy Rogers, Kelly Howell, and Desiree Strombus. Ladies, your investment into our lives is so appreciated!

Join us at Palm Beach Shores at 7:00 AM or at Palm Beach Gardens at 9:00 or 10:45.

Happy Mother’s Day to all moms everywhere! God bless you!

no more money, please

I am going to say something you may have never heard a pastor say before: Stop sending money. (For Project Peru – that is!)

A few months ago, we spread the word that we were headed to Peru, in part, to assist Pastor Darius Lopez as he cares for 330 needy children in his Ministry Center in Lima. We set a goal of $5,000. I am glad to say that we have reached our goal! Thanks to the generous giving of several people, including family and friends of Maranatha Church, as well as complete strangers who heard about the project, we have met our goal.

One woman who follows me on Twitter heard about what we are doing and made a donation online. If she reads this, she needs to know the cool thing that has happened. If you gave any amount, you are part of a life-saving ministry. If you were unable to give but you prayed, you are also part of a great thing that God is doing. Thank you all, very much.

You may stop giving now. In a few weeks, we will begin a new project that you can jump into, if you like.

On May 25, I plan to deliver the money we raised to Pastor Lopez. Thank you and thank God!

this is why we do missions

Please take a look at this blog post written by my daughter, Jessica Hanson. The story she tells describes perfectly why we are passionate about being personally involved in missions work, especially as it relates to children.

In the next few weeks, we will be engaged in efforts to help needy kids in Peru, Guatemala and Chile. If you are interested in making a real difference, stay tuned. Or better yet, start something yourself!

done your devotion?

Just checking in to remind everyone that we have some great video devotionals available on our website. These devotionals, along with several other great resources, are connected to our current message series, 30 Days to Save Your Family. A new devotional will be posted on Wednesday so don't miss out on the first one. BTW, if you have kids, check out Than's devotional - it is awesome!

You can find these materials at Maranatha Church.

Plan to be with us for part 2 this Sunday at our Palm Beach Gardens campus.
At the Palm Beach Shores location, we are diving into The Good Life! Don't miss it!

more difficult or most difficult?

While hiking a trail in Minnesota last Friday, I came across this trail marker sign that was a revelation for me. I had the choice to take the lesser of the two hills which was labeled as “more difficult” or I could take the tougher hill, aka “most difficult”.

Decision time.

The decision I made was not for the moment. I was a little tired at this point in my hike. I was wearing a weighted backpack, it was pretty warm out and I was sweaty. I was purposely restricting my oxygen intake. This would have been a nice time to take it easy on myself and opt for the less challenging of the two trails presented. I chose the “most difficult” trail.

Here’s why:

I am preparing for what is ahead. This was not a leisurely walk for relaxation. This hike was training. I am getting ready for an intense several-day hike in the Andes Mountains in Peru. Friday’s hike in Minnesota was a glimpse ahead to where I hope to be in three weeks.

Sometimes in life we get to chose: more difficult or most difficult. (rarely is “easy” an option!) Your choice depends on your future plans. It all depends on what is ahead for you. In life, if the tough stuff is behind you, put it on cruise control and walk down hill. If you think there may be some mountains ahead, you had better prepare now. If you put in your miles on the “most difficult” path, tomorrow’s mountains will become mole hills.

Here’s the problem: we seldom know what is ahead. I have never hiked the Inca Trail so I don’t know for sure how difficult it will be. But I want to be prepared. I would rather be over-prepared than under-prepared. I can’t imagine getting to Peru and wishing I hadn’t trained so much. But the flip side is completely possible.

You don’t know what is ahead for you. If you take the more difficult of the preparation options today, the challenges of tomorrow will be more manageable. Slack off today and there is a good chance that tomorrow will squash you.

So, which path will you chose?

new series, new resources

For those of you who attend the Palm Beach Gardens campus of Maranatha Church, we are kicking off a new teaching series tomorrow. Actually, we are starting a new series at BOTH locations, but the Gardens series will include some very special Internet resources. 30 Days to Save Your Family includes some video devotionals as well as website and book suggestions. Take a look at these resources on our website: Maranathachurch.org.

Don't worry, Palm Beach Shores location people, we also have some special stuff for you guys! The Good Life will be an awesome study of the things that God desires to do in us, as we follow His design. It will be great!

Schedule:
Shores - 7:00AM
Gardens - 9:00 and 10:45
See our website for directions and specifics.